The invention relates to a mechanism for adjusting and maintaining the tilt adjustment of a seat back.
For an adjustment mechanism of the conventional type such as disclosed in FR 25 78 602 A1, three outer-toothed blocking elements are provided that, when in a blocked or locked position, engage their outer-toothed surfaces with the inner-toothed surfaces of another mechanism, and rest against three control surfaces of a cam disk.
The blocking elements are mounted using a loose friction bearing of one mechanism part so that they may be displaced radially. The necessary play or looseness results in a tilting of the blocking elements in case of a crash. This leads to a partial disengagement of the external toothed surfaces of the blocking element from the opposing inner-toothed surfaces with the result that the mechanism can slip.
Based on this state of the art, the invention has the task of improving the existing type of adjustment mechanism so that the toothed surfaces of the adjustment mechanism remain securely engaged even during a crash.
The present invention features a mechanism for adjusting and maintaining seat back tilt by utilizing the mutual opposition of the moveable blocking elements that prevents their tilting. Also, the blocking elements are held more securely in proper position on the control surface from which it may not slip.
In one preferred embodiment, the blocking elements are held in the blocked condition between a guide area of the control surface of a cam device and the contact surface of an adjacent blocking element. This creates additional security against slippage. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed herein.